John the Baptist teaches us… that each of us,
through service, consistency, humility, witness of life
– and always by God’s grace –
can be a lamp that shines and helps others
find the way on which to meet Jesus.
--Pope Francis
About thirty years ago , I asked the seventh grade students at St. Pius School in Redwood City about the church, which was a sort of round edifice, like Our Lady of Mount Carmel. I asked the students to tell me, in their own opinion, What are some of the most important things that you see when you come into a church? Some of them said, The altar. Some of them said, The crucifix, or, the tabernacle. They mentioned things that are important to us for our faith.
Then one boy raised his hand and he said, For me, the most important thing is the green exit sign. And I thought, What? There was laughter among his fellow students, but he explained: At the end of the Mass, we are sent forth on mission. He didn’t say it exactly like this, but his message was, We hear words of mission and commission: Go and glorify God with your lives. Go in peace; the Mass is ended. Go and spread the Gospel by everything that you say and do.
So his words always come to my mind whenever I see a green exit sign in any church. That is what John the Baptist is all about, too. He is a sign pointing toward Jesus. He tells the people who come to him, I am just a voice in the desert. I’m merely a prophet. I’m pointing the way to someone who is much more important than I. He is so great, he is so central, he is so magnificent, that I’m not even worthy to untie the sandals on his feet. So don’t follow me, John the Baptist says, Follow him!
And when Jesus comes, when John sees him at the Jordan river, John will utter those words that we use at every Mass: Behold, the Lamb of God! Behold him who takes away the sins of the world. He does! Jesus does take away our sins. Jesus does strengthen us in holiness and comfort us and make us more like him. And then, he sends us out under that exit sign, to be his Body in the world.
--Fr. William Brown,
OLMC, Homily, June 24, 2025
Image source: OLMC Catholic Church, https://www.facebook.com/mountcarmelmv
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